Firefighter describes flashover rescue

A Chicago firefighter today credited his fellow firefighters for pulling him from a Far South Side blaze after a flashover flared up in the one-story home.

A 74-year-old woman died and three firefighters were injured in the late Thursday night fire.

The three firefighters who were injured were caught in a flashover of some kind, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

One of the injured firefighters said from home tonight that the fire appeared out when it suddenly flashed and burned him and two others.

"It was out but it rekindled," said Reed Riley. In 21 years on the Fire Department "that was maybe the second time I've seen something like that."

After the flash other firefighters "dragged me out," he said.

Before the flashover firefighters pulled Gloria Odom from fire and dense smoke in the kitchen of the one-story home at 1416 W. 112th St. in the Morgan Park neighborhood, Langford said.

She was pronounced dead at 11:36 p.m. Thursday at Metro South Medical Center in Blue Island, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. She suffered from smoke inhalation but was not burned.

The last Riley had heard, one of the other firefighters was still at the burn unit in Loyola University Hospital in Maywood and the other had returned home. Riley said his hair was burned and he suffered a cut on one hand.

"Nothing major, I'm good," said Reilly. "The other two guys, they're going to be okay."